Of Queens and Lords
by samishion
Summary: Victoria's older sister, Elizabeth, renounced her claim to the throne early on. This does not stop her from helping her sister in any way she can, meaning she will be constantly by her side if she's needed there. The Queen is not the only one with an attachment to the Prime Minister, though Elizabeth's attachment is born from a different sort of fondness. {Lord Melbourne/OC}


_hello! I'm warning you now, before we do anything. this story will be over the top romantic and cheesy; I'm in love with love, and this is the format in which I've chosen to express that. anyways, I just recently started Victoria, and I finished the first season far too quickly. much like others, I immediately fell in love with Lord M, and I thought he deserved a happy ending without disrupting the wonderful relationship that is Victoria and Albert. and so an original character was thought up, in the form of our beloved Queen's sister. this is her story. apologies if some things don't make sense. my mind often imagines things and then doesn't like to give a reasoning for it happening. I am, before all else, a daydreamer._

 _enough of my rambling, onto the story!_

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The weather outside was dark and foreboding, almost like it knew what would happen before anyone else did. Rain pelted harshly against the glass windows of Kensington Palace, disrupting the sleep of the two sisters occupying their bedroom, but never their sleeping mother. A rap of knuckles on the front door of the palace startled them both.

"Lilibet," A whispered voice called from across the room, and light blue eyes flickered to meet her sister's identical ones. The Princess Alexandrina Victoria, fidgeting with a doll, looked anxiously to her older sister, knowing what would be happening, and she feared she was not ready. Their uncle, the King, was dreadfully sick, and they knew that he would breathe his last any day now.

"Come," Elizabeth murmured, offering a hand, and the younger princess padded across the wooden floors to put herself into the arms of her sister on her bed, "You mustn't be too frightened, now. I will always be here to help you."

A part of her felt slightly bad for giving all of this responsibility- responsibility that should be hers- to Alexandrina. Elizabeth knew from a very young age that, as older sister and their uncles not having any surviving children, that left her as the heir apparent. What she also knew from that same age, though, was that she would soon enough crack under the pressure that came with ruling. She knew her emotional stability well enough to know that it would not hold for very long if she became Queen, and she did not want to be forced to abdicate on account of becoming like her mad grandfather. So, she renounced her claim to the throne before anyone else could, therefore passing it onto Alexandrina.

"You must go to meet them," Elizabeth spoke softly, pressing a kiss to the crown of her sister's head before urging her to get up. As she did this, their governess came rushing into the room.

"The messenger is here," The German woman whispered, a small smile tugging at her lips, "With a black armband. Your Majesty," As she was the first to speak these words to the new queen, she dipped low into a curtsy.

She walked out the door then, an unspoken gesture for them to follow her. The halls of the palace were dark, no sign of the soon to be rising sun as it was hidden behind rain clouds. The governess offered her hand to Alexandrina as they reached the top of the stairs, and the young girl eyed it before taking a steadying breath.

"I can manage, Lehzen," Drina said quietly, straightening herself out a bit, "Alone." Her eyes found Elizabeth's then and, despite her words, she offered her sister her hand, much like she had done for her just a few minutes earlier.

Elizabeth accepted it with a soft smile, lacing their fingers to let her know that she would be by her side always. Dash was quick at their sides, following them faithfully. Lehzen took a shaky breath, gazing upon her two girls as they walked down the stairs in their nightgowns; her girls who had grown up much too quickly.

Waiting for them was the Archbishop of Canterbury and Lord Conyngham. They gazed upon the two sisters as they approached, sympathy in their eyes. While this was to inform them of what was to happen next, they had just lost someone in their family. When the girls had gotten close enough, they immediately went to their knees, each of them pressing a kiss to their new queen's hand before doing the same to Elizabeth.

"It is my sad duty to inform you that the King breathed his last at twelve minutes past two," The Archbishop told them, and the sisters exchanged a glance before Alexandrina spoke up.

"My poor dear uncle."

"May God have mercy on his soul," Elizabeth murmured, both of them trying to ignore Dash barking beside them. It was no use, though, and Drina was quick to duck down, picking him up to soothe him.

The two men gave them a bemused look before bowing once again. "Your Majesty. Your royal highness."

As they disappeared around the corner, Alexandrina placed the small dog back onto the floor, her sister chuckling softly. Elizabeth met her eyes, a fondness there, and gingerly, she brought a hand to her little sister's cheek to run her thumb over it in a small moment of comfort.

Drina took a steadying breath, covering her sister's hand with her own before dropping it.

"Naughty Dashy," The younger chided the with a small laugh, rushing off with the dog at her feet, and Elizabeth followed behind her, though more slow as she watched her go.

"I have every bit of faith in you," She spoke to no one, for her sister had already managed to escape her view. "Victoria."


End file.
